"The Best Bro" will probably just continue to be a one-shot. I don't plan on expanding on it anymore. After watching Hey Arnold! for a while, I realize that Helga never really had the chance she needed to be something more than the girl who fell in love with Arnold. However, when she "stopped" loving Arnold, she was also bland and emotionless. So, who is Helga? Would she be the mean girl we know, or would she have been a "Lila?" Would she be bland and monochromatic? Or does Arnold really define Helga? Does Helga define Arnold then?

I honestly don't know and I don't intend to answer. Instead, I'm going to make the world move.

The World Ends With You

I don't mind living in a man's world as long as I can be a woman in it.

-Marilyn Monroe

Helga G. Pataki stared at the city of Hillwood as she sat on the roof of the Sunset Arms. With a small, sad smile, she realized this would probably be the last time she ever got to see Hillwood again and—a shuddering sigh left her—the last time she'd see Arnold Shortman. To be fair, there was no way she could really face him otherwise, she supposed. Although she'd admitted how she felt about him during their time in the jungle, seven years had passed without an answer from Arnold. In an effort to get the football-headed boy to answer her, Helga had changed her bully ways—she was still the sarcastic girl she would always be, but it was playful—and she had become an all around better person. Her family had noticed how hard Helga was trying to change and Miriam finally let go of her "smoothies" and did her best to change as well. Bob was still a blowhard, but Helga understood now it was for the same reasons she became a bully—he didn't know any other way to be.

Eventually, her meetings with Bliss began to reveal, more and more, something she didn't want to hear; still, now at fifteen, Helga steeled herself and listened to Bliss.

"You have to move, Helga. You need to live a life outside of Arnold, especially if he's unwilling to answer you."

And so, the moving day had come and no one knew she was leaving other than Phoebe and Lila. She had planned on saying her goodbyes to Arnold before she left, but she sat on his roof and stared at Hillwood.

She would say goodbye to the city instead.

"Helga?" she heard and turned, looking at a confused Arnold. "What are you doing here?"

She smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes, "Nothing, Football-head. Just looking at the sunset."

"On my roof?" he deadpanned, an amused smile on his face as he approached.

She chuckled, turning back to the city. He sat beside her quietly. "Yeah, Arnold. Best place to see it, next to the river."

"Why didn't you go there then?" he asked.

The smile left her face. What could she say now? She could say goodbye; could say it was the last time they'd ever see each other and she needed an answer now. Hell, she could kiss him and run away and live with that memory.

She could.

Instead, she stood and shook her head. "This was closer. I better get going. See you later, Football-head."

"Sure," Arnold stood, looking at her uncertainly, "Helga?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

She turned to look at him, half way to the fire escape. "Yeah."

"Are you sure?" he took a step in her direction, noticing how she took a step back.

"I'm fine, Football-head. I'll see you tomorrow," with that, she turned away again and headed towards the fire escape, clearly intended on leaving.

"I…" Arnold began. For some reason, he was scared he would never see her again. Even though she said "tomorrow," there was such a finality to her tone that, if Arnold didn't know any better, he could have sworn she'd actually said "goodbye forever." He watched the back of the girl who loved him since they were three walk away from him—he watched the way her large, blonde pigtails bounced as she walked and the grey beanie she had taken to wearing instead of her bow and the pink shirt and blue jeans she donned—and he felt like running to her and holding her and begging her never to leave.

But he couldn't do that. Then he'd have to answer why he wanted her to stay and he still wasn't ready. So, despite his gut feeling (She couldn't be leaving forever. She just couldn't….), he stood still and watched her go, reassuring himself that she'd be there at school tomorrow, waiting for his answer like she always would.

And that was the last time Arnold Shortman saw Helga G. Pataki.

Admittedly, the first day she was missing, Arnold was just in denial.

"She's coming back. She said so," he had said. Still, Gerald would shake his head and Phoebe would sigh sadly and Lila would turn away.

The second day, he started to get worried, but refused to believe she was gone, so, Arnold went about his business as usual. The other kids seemed to notice as well and a murmur went about the school that Helga had left Hillwood. Arnold refused to believe it.

Finally, when a whole week had passed, Arnold decided to go to the Pataki residence. He strode confidently, sure that Helga just caught a cold or the flu from sitting on his roof so late that night. With a nod, he was sure Helga would roll her eyes and call him a sap. Then she'd invite him in, they'd have soup, they'd talk, and they'd be—

Arnold fell to his knees when he beheld the sign that crushed all of his hopes. Almost innocently, the sign hung on the door of the periwinkle brownstone.

FOR SALE

For the first time in thirteen years, Arnold realized that was he alone. It didn't matter that his parents were back; it didn't matter that he had Gerald and Phoebe and Lila; none of that mattered because his secret, golden-haired guardian angel was gone and was never coming back. But she had said she would see him the next day, hadn't she? Arnold thought hard about that day and, with a gasp, realized what had actually happened that day.

She had said goodbye. She had no intention of ever seeing him again. She left him…just like his parents left him.

He sat there for hours, unheeding of the time or the cold, until he felt a hand on his shoulder. In a burst of hope he hadn't felt since he won the San Lorenzo contest, he turned around to face who he hoped was Helga. His face fell immediately when he beheld Lila's sad eyes.

"How long?" he asked after a moment.

"She told me a few weeks ago," Lila clarified, "She didn't want anyone to know. She figured you wouldn't notice. I tried ever so hard to tell her that wasn't true, but she wouldn't listen."

"Why?" his voice sounded so broken.

Lila frowned. "She said she needed to find a life outside of you. You never gave her an answer and she was getting tired of waiting."

Arnold's head began shake, back in forth, as if denying her words. "She…She…"

"She's gone, Arnold," Lila replied, sighing. "And, once you noticed she was gone, she wanted me to pass on this message."

Arnold swallowed hard. "When did she expect you to give me this message?"

Lila looked away. "Three months."

"What?" he exploded and began pacing, "She expected me to not notice she was gone for three months?"

"To be fair, Arnold," Lila bit her lip, "She also expected you to answer her before the three year mark."

Arnold stopped pacing, guilt eating away at him. "I was going to answer her."

"When?"

"When I was ready."

Lila just sighed, "She wanted me to tell you not to try to find her."

With that, the auburn-haired girl turned to walk away, but Arnold's hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"Yes, Arnold?"

"Why did she ask you to tell me? Why not Phoebe? When did you two get so close?"

Lila shrugged, a small smile on her face. "I kept her secret for her. I don't know when, but we became good friends after San Lorenzo. Phoebe was distraught enough that Helga was leaving. Helga didn't think it fair to ask her for a favor as well. I better leave."

She hugged the taller boy, patting his back. She almost forgot that Arnold had his growth spurt and was now taller than most people in their class. She pulled away, looking into his glassy green eyes and, with an unsure frown, she turned and walked home.

"Helga," Arnold muttered to himself. "…I love you, too." With a self-loathing sigh, Arnold shook his head and stood, walking to the Sunset Arms.

"I'm ready."

But that wasn't the answer.

I don't really know where I'm going with this yet, but stick with me.